Stockport County 1-3 Chorley (07/11/2015)

Chorley put in a superb performance to make it four wins out of four National League meetings against Stockport County.

In an enthralling yet evenly contested opening forty five minutes both sides had chances to open the scoring before Jake Cottrell eventually netted on 40 minutes.

County started strong and had three sights of goal in the opening minutes, but a combination of poor finishing and goal keeper from Sam Ashton prevented the Hatters from taking an early lead.

Chorley first opening was a header from Marcus Carver, but pressure from the defence meant he couldn’t get any power behind the ball.

Darren Stephenson then raced down the left flank, taking on a long ball from Sam Ashton and won a corner. Andy Bonds deliver found ex-County player Keiran Charnock, but the centre back couldn’t find a way past keeper Ian Ormson.

The hosts, who had plenty of pace on the wings, broke with Kayode Odejayi who played Jake Kirby in but the strikers shot flew well wide of Ashton’s goal then minutes later Abudalia Baggie stung Ashton’s palms from 25 yards.

Josh Hine intercepted a wayward header from Leeds United loanee Ross Killock, but Ormson denied Josh with a near post save.

On the half hour mark the Magpies breathed a sigh of relief as Odejayi missed a sitter then the same player was denied by a solid block from Charnock.

It looked like it was going to be goalless at the interval, but then Cottrell decided to try his luck from distance and somehow Ormson allowed the 25 yard drive to squirm under his body into the goal, but the lead lasted barely a minutes.

Kirby, a danger throughout the first half, latched onto the ball on the edge of the area and let rip with a shot that gave Ashton little chance to net Counties first goal against the Magpies in 116 years, though there was a hint of a foul on Max Cartwright in the build-up with the referee chose to ignore.

Mo Cham fired over for the hosts and Chris Doyle headed in a similar direction for the visitors at the other end, but neither side added to the score line before the referee called a halt to a frenetic first half.

As even as the first half was, the second period was completely different as Chorley upped a gear and strode on to collect three points.

Stephenson and Carver combined, but the latter failed to make a clean contact with the ball from six yards then a minute later Paul Connolly somehow prevented an almost certain goal. Andy Bond superbly cut in from the left and lofted the ball over the helpless Ormson, but Connolly recovered and hooked the ball off the line in similar fashion to Salford City’s Stuart Howson the night before.

Chorley were making all the running’s in the early stages of the second half and got a richly deserved second on 54 minutes when Stephenson put Ormson under pressure when receiving a back pass; the home keeper made a complete hash of his attempt to control the ball and the Chorley striker pounced for his sixth goal of the season.

The one goal advantage lasted just six minutes, when struck to double the lead with his ninth of the campaign. Hine chased a through ball as the Magpies his on the break and slotted easily past the now dejected and drenched Ormson.

County attempted to regroup in the final twenty minutes, using all three subs before the 70th minutes, but Chorley continued to dominate the once loftier hosts.

Carver received a standing ovation from the travelling supporters when he was replaced on 76 minutes with James Dean entering the fray. Carver’s goal tally might not have been as many as he’d have liked but his work rate during his three months he spent at Victory Park were phenomenal.

Dean was immediately called into action, but this time Ormson made himself big to deny the Magpies sub.

Any faint hopes the hosts had of getting back into the game disappeared with a little over five minutes remaining. First Yusuf Coban left the field with an injury and with no substitutions available to Neil Young they had to soldier on with ten, then it was down to nine following a straight red shown to Lewis Montrose, Counties seventh dismissal of the season, for a horror challenge on Mark Ross.

At the final whistle the supporters, players and coaching staff celebrated a superb win, which moves the Magpies up to ninth in the league, just three points from a play-off place.